Background
The Customer Support Division of Plant No.19 (now called Perm Engine Company) was established in October 1935 as part of Engineering Division as required by license documentation for Curtis-Wright (USA) Cyclone engine which was the first product of the plant.
On July 22, 1937, the Operation & Maintenance Department was established as a separate division reporting to the Chief Engineer, and development of the base for providing aftermarket technical services to Plants Nos.1, 21, 22 and 156, Research Institute of Air Force and Air Force units (i.e. first representation aftermarket support offices) was started in Moscow.
In early fifties the piston engined aviation was replaced with the jet one. The Plant was entrusted to organize production of VK-1À jet engines for MiG-15, MiG-17, IL-28 aircraft (1953...1954), ÀÌ-3 engines and modifications thereof RD-3Ì for Tu-16, Tu-104 aircraft (1955...1958), and Ai-20 and Ai-20K engines for An-8, An-10, An-12, IL-18 aircraft (1958...1964).
Besides, the Plant established production of turbofan engines and gearboxes developed by Perm Engine Design Bureau (now Aviadvigatel) under the leadership of the outstanding designer Pavel Soloviev:
D-20P - the first 100 engines were made in 1958 for Tu-124 passenger aircraft; - D-25V - in 1959 the first 60 helicopter engines and 18 R7 gearboxes were made for
Mi-6 and Mi-10 helicopters; - D-30 - production of the engine for Tu-134 passenger aircraft started in 1966.
In 1965, the Plant started production of TV-117 engines and VR-8A gearboxes developed by Klimov Design Bureau for Mi-8 helicopters.
In 1967 the Plant began production of Vikhr outboard motors.
The period of turbojet machinery introduction was the time of rapid development of the Operation & Maintenance Department transformed into the Field Maintenance Shop No.55. Over 10 years the number of personnel grew from 86 persons in 1958 to 680 in 1968.
In 1977, the Plant assembled twenty two first D-30F6 military augmented engines for unsurpassed MiG-31 fighter-interceptor, and in 1984 the mass production of MB-1 cultivators being in high demand was started.
In 1988, the Plant commenced production of state-of-the-art PS-90A turbofans; and shortly after there was a period of transition to market economy.
In these conditions in April 1999 operation & maintenance departments were reorganized into the Customer Support Department, and customer support representation offices in Moscow were consolidated into Motorservice-PM Company.
In this period the practice of chargeable aftermarket support of the engines with expired warranty life that underwent overhaul at civil and military aviation overhaul plants was introduced. At the same time, production of industrial gas turbines on the basis of the PS-90A and D-30 aero engines was started. Industrial derivatives of aero engines found a wide use as drives of gas compressors and electric generators.
Perm PS-90A turbofans power transcontinental IL-96-300 passenger aircraft flying to various places of the world: from Reykjavik to Hong Kong, from Moscow to Buenos Aires, etc. Flight geography of Tu-204, Tu-204Ñ, Tu-214, Tu-204-300 commercial aircraft, and transport IL-76 aircraft becomes wider.
Gas compressor packages and generator sets with aero-derivative gas turbines rapidly take the leading positions at the market of this sector of economy.
All these aviation and industrial gas turbine machinery and the products for domestic use are and will be supported by the specialists of the Customer Support Department all around the world.
The specialists of the Customer Support Division of today feature:
high qualification; - responsibility;
- aspiration for maintaining a good reputation of the company.
While providing assistance to operators, the specialists of the Customer Support Department of Perm Engine Company and Motorservice-PM do everything necessary to ensure flight safety and efficient use of the Customer aircraft fleet, and assist their customers in starting, operating and maintaining gas turbines and gensets.
